万花筒 2009-02-19 用短信说我爱你（在线收听）

Valentine's Day is coming up, Anita’s favorite. People used to send, you know handwritten love letters or even poetry.

Out of a British survey shows few people do that any more, and 2/3 of those polled'd never even said I love you. Isn't that shocking?

Yeah.

Yes. David Siletto of the BBC reports from London.

Valentine's Day is looming, time to express our romantic sides.

"The transport of the heart, they have all the fire of our passions.

What would I not do for love of you, my own Clara, my dear one."

And we are still happy enough to send flowers, but what about the words that go with them? The love letter. Well, it seems the most likely source of a few endearing words these days is in one of these.

There is perhaps something lacking in the average romantic text, but the love letter? Well it appears for most to be a lost art.

I’ve no thought about rhyme on note. Not really.

Why not?

Er, it's of some particular interest, but I don't know much of it. I must I am busy.

That’s an excuse.

Yeah, a bad one.

I mean if someone likes you or you like someone. How would you communicate to them?

Text, give him a text.

It's not very romantic.

Yeah, but men aren't romantic any more.

Would you like them to be?

Yeah. I've a romantic heart, but…

Poems not, but letters yes, with many love words.

You are the first person we’ve met who’s...?

Really?

Did they work?

Because I am a foreigner, er foreigner.

So, too busy and too British for a love letter, and certainly no poems. But it seems we can, just about to manage a text.

David Siletto, BBC news.